Now in the former home of Real Seafood Co. at the Galleria Shoppes at Vanderbilt, Bella Atalia Ristorante has taken up residence with chef/owner Kenny Purisic at the helm. If that name seems familiar, perhaps it’s because Purisic also owns and operates Molino’s and Manhattan Steakhouse in Bonita Springs. He decided to open a restaurant farther south largely because of his following in Naples.
“I always wanted a place in Naples,” Purisic says. “I have a lot of customers here that can’t get up to Bonita with [heavy seasonal] traffic. Naples is not as seasonal as Bonita. People visit Naples even in the summer. In Bonita, people disappear for five or six months. In Naples, they disappear for about three months.”
The restaurant offers a voluminous menu of Italian favorites (some gluten-free), including a dozen fish dishes featuring shrimp, scallops, red snapper, salmon, flounder, and branzino. What’s more, if a customer desires a dish that’s not on the menu, Purisic says, “Name it, we’ll make it as long as we have the ingredients.” Everything is made from scratch, including the lobster ravioli and gnocchi. So far, dishes emerging as crowd favorites include meatballs Bolognese, veal osso buco, veal scallopine, and of course, pasta. “We sell a lot of tripe, Chilean bass, and Dover sole, too,” he says.
The outdoor dining area is pet-friendly, and there’s a private dining room that seats 50 guests.
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